An emergency ordinance is heading to St. Joseph City Council on Monday for work needed to repair the towers on the Missouri Theater.

City Manager Bruce Woody said after an inspection of the entire facade it was discovered that the towers need to be rebuilt. He said the building, located at 717 Edmond St., was built in 1926 and the city didn’t acquire it until 1979.

“In that period before the city acquired it in 79′ there were some changes to the front of the building,” Woody said. “Apparently that has really caused us some problems now, all these years later.  When all those changes were made the quality of work was not very good.”

If the ordinance is approved, Woody said work will begin right away.

“We estimate about 65 days worth of work,” Woody said. “This is just the facade not the building itself.  The building is in wonderful structural condition, always has been and continues to be. We will also be constructing a scaffolding system to protect the sidewalks in that area so all performances that are scheduled will continue.”

Woody said an estimated worst case scenario cost of the work would be in the $550,000 range.

“If we have to take all four of those towers down to an elevation of about a third of the way down the front of the building,” Woody said. “If we find a little less damage then we won’t have to go as far.”